By Chris Chatigny, Numismatist & Cataloger

Our Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio August Hong Kong Auction boasts a number of exciting and scarce numismatic treasures. Today we feature a Kwan Ping Trade Coinage series pattern that has attracted considerable interest among Asian numismatic specialists due to its rarity. Patterns for this series were produced based on the Maritime Customs scale in the denominations of 1 Tael, 5 Mace, 2 Mace, 1 Mace and 5 Candareens. This rare and interesting series has long been the topic of speculation by numismatic authors in regard to the mint responsible for its manufacture and intended purpose (see Kann Illustrated Catalog of Chinese Coins pg. 324/5).

By Chris Chatigny, Numismatist & Cataloger

The upcoming Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio August Hong Kong Showcase auction is very near to completion, and soon you will be able to browse the catalog online or in print. In anticipation of this sale, we have a preview of an exceptional and very rare coin, a facing portrait pattern Dollar of Chang Tso Lin, the “Mukden Tiger” and warlord of Manchuria.

By Chris Chatigny, Numismatist & Cataloger

Our August Hong Kong Showcase Auction is already building up to be an impressive sale. For our first preview we offer a set of medals from the final years of the Ching government that are rarely seen at auction. These lovely medals bear an illustrious pedigree, that of renowned Sinologue, Eduard Kann.

By Chris Chatigny, Numismatist & Cataloger

Our prestigious D. Brent Pogue Collection Part I is set to cross the auction block this upcoming Tuesday, May 19th! The following day, Wednesday the 20th, Stacks Bowers will offer at auction an impressive array of U.S. coins, U.S. currency, philatelic items and world coins. Both sales can be viewed here.

By Chris Chatigny, Numismatist & Cataloger

Stack’s Bowers Galleries is very excited to offer some exceptional vintage Chinese and other world coins as a part of our Rarities Night auction on May 20th. This is sure to be an exciting sale with an incredible lineup of numismatic rarities. The entire Rarities Night auction can be viewed here, and this impressive Pei Yang Tael can be viewed here.

By Chris Chatigny, Numismatist & Cataloger

Sun Yat-sen was born in 1866 to a poor peasant family in the south of China, near Macau. His elder brother left China seeking work in Hawaii, and Sun Yat-sen followed him at the age of 12. Honolulu offered Sun Yat-sen an opportunity to learn English and receive religious education at an Anglican Church School. Upon returning to China, he studied in Hong Kong, officially converted to Christianity and married.

The Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio April Hong Kong Showcase Auction is now live! The entirety of the sale can now be previewed online, complete with full lot descriptions and high-resolution images. This week’s preview lot is an especially rare provincial issue, a Kiangnan 1900 3 Mace 6 Candareens.